Out In The Open
by Amanda Hawthorn
Summary: Spoilers for 8x02. This is my interpretation of the promo and that beautifully cute photo of Grissom and Sara. Grissom and Sara go out for the first time in public. GSR


DISCLAIMER: CSI belongs to CBS and Alliance-Atlantis Productions. No infringement intended.  
SPOILERS: 8x02. This is my interpretation of the promo and that beautifully cute photo of Grissom and Sara

SUMMARY: Grissom and Sara go out for the first time in public

FEEDBACK: Love it, but no flames please I'm fragile!!

**AUTHORS' NOTES: This is especially written for the DOLLARS FOR SENSE campaign to keep Jorja Fox in CSI. If you haven't heard about it yet, we as a fandom are fighting to let Jorja know that we love her and that we want her to stay and be a part of CSI. To help, type 'DOLLARS FOR SENSE' in googles search engine and it's about 7****th**** on the list. Please help us to help Jorja and join the thousands of us already fighting side by side, for her. Alternatively you can visit YTDAW which also has information of where to go, etc.**

**I am also offering anyone in the UK who doesn't have a printer to email me, my address is in my bio, if you need flyers printing. Let me know how many and I'll get them to you asap.**

**Thank you to Rachel for the quick beta. **

Out in the open

Grissom stopped the car and turned to gaze adoringly at the woman sitting beside him. He hadn't been able to stay away from her since she had been rescued from the desert barely alive. The only time he'd left her side was when nature called or when she ordered him to go home and rest, but he was never away from her side for very long.

"So?" She asked him with a small smile as she looked around her. Her whole body still felt stiff and her skin was sore to touch, but she didn't care anymore. Laying her head back against the headrest she sighed, contentedly. "Where are we going?"

"We're going go carting," he told her with a beaming smile.

Sara lifted her head and stared at him with her mouth slightly agape, had he just said what she thought he had. "Babe, I can't…"

"No," he laughed as he reached over to link his fingers through her uninjured ones. "Not us honey, the guys wanted to see you."

"Oh…But…Go carting?" She asked him again, this time her lips turning upwards into a smile.

"Yeah, even Cath here."

"Go carting…Cath?" Sara's smile grew wider when thoughts of the older woman cramped into a frame on wheels burst into her mind. "But, why?"

"Well they wanted me to bring you straight from the hospital to the lab, but I told them you're not going anywhere near the lab yet, not with Ecklie waiting for us." Lifting her hand to his lips he placed a soft kiss onto her fingers before releasing it to unclip her seat belt and slowly unwind it from around her.

Sara's smile died from her lips when she watched him move so gently around her arm so he didn't catch it. She had always lived with the fear that someday they'd be found out and everything would be over between them, and the fear that rampaged through her now caused her to swallow the lump that was lodged in her throat. "I ruined it for us, didn't I?"

Grissom's eyes snapped up to hers and the look he gave her almost melted her insides. Shifting a little towards her he reached for her hand again and squeezed her fingers gently. "No, honey, nothing's ruined."

"But Ecklie—"

"Conrad can wait until we're ready to talk to him." Leaning across the seat he placed a soft kiss onto her cheek and smiled down into her eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to us honey, I promise you…"

"But what if he fires me?" she asked worriedly. "I'd have to find another job…"

"Then I'll find a new job too," he told her quietly, his lips curling upwards into a warm smile. "Maybe we could think about moving somewhere else. We don't have to stay in Vegas if you don't want to."

Sara's eyes pooled with tears when she gazed into his, unsure of what to say to him. Sometimes he could be so completely adorable. Leaning forward, she ignored the pain in her side as she placed a soft kiss onto his lips before pulling away to smile at him. "I love you."

His smile lit his face, just like it had when she'd first told him those words as she laid in her bed in the hospital, her hand tightly clasped in his. He'd been given a new lease of life since he allowed himself to let her into his heart and since that day when he'd asked her to breakfast, neither of them had looked back since.

"I know," he told her with another beaming smile, something that he'd been doing a lot of just lately. "I love you too, honey."

They sat for a few moments, both content to bask in the glow of each other until another car stopped in the space next to them. Grissom waited until the other person had walked away before he settled his gaze onto her once more.

"Come on," he told her quietly. "The guys are waiting for us."

Sara nodded slowly, chewing her bottom lip nervously as looked over towards the tracks entrance before looking back at him again. "Are they mad?"

"About what?"

"Us…our secret?" shaking her head worriedly, she sighed heavily as she turned back towards him. "I'm not sure if I want to do this."

"Honey, they love you. They're not mad, well I don't think they are…at least no one has said that they are," he told her reassuringly. "Maybe they're a little mad at themselves for not seeing it sooner."

"Yeah, some investigators they are!"

"I know," he told her with a smile as he climbed out of the car. Slamming his side door closed he raced around to her side to pull hers open and offered her his hand, helping her out of the car.

Sara was almost overwhelmed with his tenderness. He had done almost everything for her since she'd been released from the hospital. He hadn't worried that she needed help to dress herself. He didn't even have to be asked to help when he reached around to fasten her bra together. From helping her tie her shoes to buttoning her jeans, he did it all, and never once did he even show a hint of embarrassment.

"Okay," she told him calmly when he steadied her as she stood up. "Let's do this."

"Sweetheart, we're not going to an execution," he grinned when he locked the car doors before reaching for her hand. On seeing her look of surprise he looked down towards their interlocked fingers before looking into her eyes again. "We don't have to hide anymore."

"And you're okay with that?" she asked quietly when she felt his fingers tighten around hers.

"I'm more than okay with it," he nodded happily as he led her through the entrance and into the main area.

Sara tightened her fingers around his and tried to ignore the stares from other people around her. She must look a sight, she mused, probably looking more like her mother now that she ever had before. Grissom felt her tense beside him and looked towards her worriedly.

"I feel weird," she whispered. "I haven't been stared at like this since my dad died."

Grissom's eyes flittered around them and silently dared anyone who was looking in their direction to even so much as make a comment.

"Honey, don't even worry about anyone else, okay" he told her, his voice hissing through his lips when he unclasped their hands to slide an arm protectively over her shoulders, "…they don't matter."

"Okay," she sighed, "I'll try."

"Hey look," he nodded towards the main arena where a few go carts were zooming their way around the track. "Come on, let's see if we can see the guys."

Sara smiled up at him and let him lead her towards the railings where he removed his arm from her shoulders to lean his arm across the top of the railing to link his fingers through hers. Sara couldn't help but smile. His position couldn't have been comfortable with her heavily plastered arm in the way, but he didn't seen to notice.

Turning to watch the excitement in his eyes, Sara grinned widely when he turned towards her and smiled. "There's Nick."

Sara turned away from him and spotted her friend immediately and offered him a wide smile, hoping he could see her from where he was on the track.

"SARA," he yelled as his go-cart came around the bend to zoom off again.

Greg came around next and waved frantically at her before grabbing the wheel to steady the wavering cart. Sara beamed a huge smile at him when he too zoomed past her.

"I can't see Cath," Grissom told her loudly as he tried to speak over the roar of the combined carts.

"That's because I'm here."

Sara turned and saw Catherine standing beside her and knew she should let go of Grissom's hand, but she didn't really want to.

Catherine smiled widely and pulled her into a loose hug before patting Grissom's shoulder. "Go and play with the boys," she told him with a smile. "I'll stay with Sara."

Grissom shook his head and glanced towards Sara who squeezed his hand in return. "I'll be okay."

"Honey—"

Sara moved her hand from his and lifted her fingers to lay them over his cheek. "Gil," she told him softly, forgetting that Catherine stood only a foot or so behind her. "Baby, go and have fun…I'll watch you from here."

Grissom's eyes sparkled when he lifted his hand to lay it over hers on his face. "Are you sure?"

"Go!" she grinned, "Before I change my mind."

"I'd do as she says Gil," Catherine warned him warm-heartedly. "I'll be with her."

Grissom's gaze flittered from Catherine's to Sara's and to Nick's howling laughter as his cart zoomed past them again.

"Babe, will you please go and have fun," Sara laughed. "I promise I won't move from this spot."

"If you're sure—"

"Go!"

Grissom grinned at her like a five year old and pulled her hand over his lips to plant a soft kiss in the middle of her palm. Catherine nodded at him reassuringly as she moved towards Sara to stand firmly by her side.

Grissom looked at Sara with such adoration that Catherine almost didn't recognise the man she had known for so many years. She watched the couple's silent communication and not for the first time she wondered how on earth she had missed seeing this. Her heart swelled with envy when she witnessed first hand that Grissom's eyes sparkled with love for the woman before him. She watched on silently as he reached up with one hand and pulled the flat cap off of his head and lifted it onto Sara's, smoothing down her hear with one hand before he trailed his fingers over her uninjured cheek.

""Honey…" he started, still unsure if he wanted to be away from her side, but her wide smile convinced him that she was really going to be okay.

"I love you, now go," Sara told him quickly, her lips curing upwards into an adoring smile. "Nick's winning."

"Like hell he is," Grissom laughed as he gave her hand one last squeeze before letting her go.

Catherine stood silently by Sara's side observing the younger woman vigilantly watching Grissom make his way towards a waiting cart.

"He loves you," Catherine stated quietly as she watched Greg pass by on another lap around the track.

"I know," Sara told her, keeping her eyes on Grissom's cart that started to move slowly until it built up speed to join the other racing carts.

"You're good for him."

"I know."

Catherine took her eyes off of the zooming carts to look at the woman beside her. "You love him?"

Sara smiled silently as she turned her eyes away from Grissom for a second to look into Catherine's serious gaze before turning her eyes back towards the man she loved who was now zooming around the track. "Yes."

"Good," Catherine nodded. "I'm happy for both of you."

"Thanks," Sara nodded before looking back at Catherine to offer her a small smile. "That means a lot…to both of us."

"I'm glad you made it, Sara," Catherine's voice caught in her throat as she blinked back the wetness in her eyes. "I've never been more proud of anyone other that Lindsey in all my life…"

"Cath?"

"I'm proud of you, Sara," Catherine told her softly. "Really, damn proud."

Sara's eyes filled with tears and she found herself reaching for the older woman's hand, squeezing it gently. "Thank you…I…"

"You don't have to say anything honey," Catherine told her gently as she leant in to put her arm around her shoulders. "Just promise you'll be able to give any one of us some of your strength if we ever need it?"

"I'll give you guys everything," Sara told her, her voice breaking as she spoke. "Anytime, anything."

Catherine smiled tearfully and laid her head against Sara's as they watched Warrick waving his hands in the air as he sped past, followed closely by Grissom. "Boy's huh?" Catherine grinned.

"Yeah," Sara nodded waving to the man she loved as his cart drove past. "Gotta love em."

End


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